Bedridden patients who are immobilized for medical cause (e.g., to allow a broken bone to heal) or who are immobile for any reason (e.g., depression, coma, etc.) tend to develop bed sores on body surfaces that are in prolonged contact with bed sheeting or with the covering of any other support surface. Furthermore, the bedridden patient may unconsciously favor resting on body surfaces that have recovering wounds resulting, e.g., from surgery, accident or other trauma. No matter what the cause, when air/oxygen is prevented from reaching the skin of a body part, and when normal perspiration is prevented for a prolonged period, the result is nonoptimal healing and possible infection of an existing wound, or, in the case of no wound at the outset, the formation of bed sores. Thus, whether there is an existing wound at the commencement of bed stay, or bed sores form over time, the possibility of non-healing infections is greatly increased in the bedridden, immobile patient who does not frequently change his position in bed, which, in the extreme, can lead to septicemia and possible death if not quickly diagnosed and properly treated.
A variety of devices have been disclosed for positioning a person. One class of such devices is that of restraining devices to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS) in infants. One such device for preventing SIDS is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,669 to Nevaiser, et al., which presents a means for restraining an infant through the use of one smaller and one larger wedge shaped pad, each of which is removably secured to a support member that is placed under the user. A generally vertical face of the smaller wedge shaped pad is placed against the abdomen of the infant, who is on his side, and a generally vertical face of the larger wedge shaped pad is securely positioned against the back of the infant. A belt or strap is used to hold the infant in the desired position between the two wedge shaped pads and upon the support member to which the wedge shaped pads are removably attached. An alternative embodiment employs a diaper-like strapping device that is secured to the infant, with the wedge shaped pads then being removably attached thereto via fastening strips.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,193,238 and 5,216,772 to Clute disclose an infant support device for preventing SIDS that utilizes two wedge shaped pillows. A generally vertical face of each wedge shaped pillow is positioned against the stomach or the back of the infant. The distance between the two wedge shaped pillows is controlled largely by positioning fastening strips that are attached to flaps that mutually extend between the bottom surfaces of the two wedges. A belt/strap is used to securely hold the infant within the confines of the support pillow wedges. A ventilation system in the form of a channel in each generally vertical face can be incorporated into each of the two wedge shaped pillows.
Another class of devices includes those used for treating bed sores. One such example is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,887 to Couch, Jr., which discloses a device designed to prevent and treat decubitus ulcerations of bony protuberances of hip, sacral, scapular, and elbow regions of the body. In effect, inflatable pillows of various "doughnut" shapes (round, square, triangular, pentagonal, etc.) are provided as buffers to assume any pressure directed to the general area of a wound or sore, which is protectively contained within the central "hole" of the "doughnut."
U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,910 to Ward discloses an inflatable, curved decubitus pad that consists of two parallel inflated ridges connected by a web therebetween. The curved decubitus pad is positioned such that sacral and hip bony protuberances fall between the two parallel inflated ridges (i.e., within the web area), and a belt holds the pad in proper relation to the user's body.
Yet another class of devices includes those used for general restraint or positioning of a patient or other person. One such example is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,713 to Roston, which discloses an orthopedic support apparatus for supporting the head and body of an infant on its back. Lateral support members for positioning the middle (abdomen and hips) of the infant are removable and multi-positionable to enable a wide range of useable positions. The head and neck portion is contoured to closely match the shape of the head and neck of a "typical" infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,225 to Witter discloses a device used to turn and hold a patient in position via attachments to the side rails of a bed. The device is a long, flexible muslin sheet with a fleece cushion in the middle, and a flexible strap at each comer extending away from the respective ends of the muslin sheet in a direction parallel to the longest dimension of the muslin sheet. The device is wrapped, along the long dimension, around three sides of a patient, and the ends are pulled to position the patient as desired. Once the patient is in position, the flexible straps are attached about the side rails of the bed. The fleece cushion in the middle provides friction to assist moving the patient, and also to help hold the patient in the desired position at the end of a positioning maneuver.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,449 to Champagne discloses a bellows style inflatable pad with straps for securing about a body or body part. This pad is designed to support in variable fashion (according to degree of inflation) a desired body part.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,767 to Blath discloses a pad for supporting the back of a patient. Straps about the patient's body hold the pad in place. The pad features a longitudinal slit or opening into which the patient's vertebrae may extend without contacting the mattress or other support surface.
French Patent No. 1,449,012 to Emelien discloses a set of pads whose contours approximate the shape of an infant. One of the two contoured pads is positioned against the abdomen and possibly thighs of the infant, and the second contoured pad is positioned against the back side of the infant. A single belt is then used to securely hold the pads against the infant, and thus maintain the infant in a safe position on his side.
The above described inventions all describe pads/pillows that provide support for one or more body parts, or the entire body, of a patient or other person. What is needed is a support device that not only is versatile as to the manner and direction of support of the body or body part of an immobile or relatively immobile person, but also is of such simple construction as to be very inexpensive, and therefore accessible even to a patient or person of limited means. Furthermore, what is needed is a support device that not only provides variable, adjustable and comfortable support, but also is very flexible and resilient, as well as highly compactible and light in weight for maximum portability.